It’s here.

PCB West opens on Tuesday at the Santa Clara Convention Center. The annual conference and exhibition is the Silicon Valley’s largest electronics design and manufacturing trade show of the year, and this year’s preregistration is running about 7% above last year’s numbers.

We are ecstatic to be back in Santa Clara, and are looking forward to this year’s program. Highlights of the 55-presentation conference include several talks on RF and microwave design and materials, flex design and fabrication, and the return of Doug Brooks as a presenter for the first time in three years.

The emerging assembly “conference within a conference” covers everything from package-on-package and bottom termination components to Eric Miscoll’s presentation on the latest trends between electronics manufacturing services providers and their OEM customers.

The show floor is sold out, and every leading design software company will be there, plus several top fabricators and EMS companies of all sizes. Be sure to turn out on Sept. 26 for “Free Wednesday,” when we feature several technical presentations and our New Product Introduction awards. (That’s also the the exhibition is open.)

The show takes place Sept. 25-27. Register at pcbwest.com, and if you see me walking the show, be sure to say “hi.”